COI extended by another three months
Just two weeks before the scheduled conclusion of the Commission of Inquiry (COI), the Commission has yet again been extended.
Governor John Rankin made the announcement in a press statement moments ago.
He said: “I have today informed the Honourable Premier that in discussion with the Commissioner, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, I have granted a further three-month extension to the COI, to April 2022, to enable the Commissioner and his team to prepare and deliver his final report.”
“I believe it is right that this process is completed carefully and methodically and to ensure that a complete report is delivered into the areas of concern that the Commission is addressing. Good Governance is paramount to the success of any country and I remain committed to supporting the CoI in helping to achieve this for the Virgin Islands,” Governor Rankin further explained.
According to the governor, the extension is because of what he indicated to be the large volume of documents the COI has to comb through to deliver the final report.
He said the COI has received a huge amount of documentation from the Inquiry Response Unit (IRU) on behalf of the Attorney General’s Chambers, as well as information provided by residents.
“Many of the documents are likely to be used in support of the Commissioner’s report, and his team continue to work with the IRU to ensure that any redaction applications they make (to remove or blank out information) are dealt with, so the final report is transparent and to enable its full publication.”
“Both the volume of documents involved and the time taken for the redaction applications to be made and considered have had an impact on the Commissioner’s ability to finalise his report and supporting documentation within the current timeframe.”
The Commission of Inquiry was issued on January 19, 2021 to look into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty may have taken place amongst public, elected and statutory officials in recent years; and to make appropriate recommendations as to governance and the operation of the law enforcement and justice systems in the BVI.
Those recommendations were originally supposed to be submitted to the governor six months after the COI was called. However, Commissioner Hickinbottom later sought more time and was granted an extension to produce his final report on the one-year anniversary date of the COI being issued. That anniversary date would have been January 19, 2022.
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Ok but this should be the last extension. Present the report within 3 months.
Ayo think aya smart prolonging this inquiry? Mehson Tell Hickinbottom and his team to hurry GTFOH before we kick HE in he bottom! Out ourrr country! Conclude your COI and leave us man. Just like JasperT, ack like ayo doing thing in our best interest only to kcuf us over!!!!!!!! GYMSS
This is nonsense now.
I was for the coi when it started but as it progress I realise that it is a witch hunt to try to prove that the last Governor was right when in fact he was not. The BVI people need to wake up.
The COI uncovered more stuff so they will need more time…The small business stimulus list and the barge contract is where the trouble is just to name a few
You mean the uncover that you are a racist and a fool.
I have an issue with this COI that the former Governor prematurely called or more like called ill-advised. The same Governor and the UK said when a request by their elected officials for a COI in the UK spending of covid funds that it is not in the best interest of the people of the UK to do a COI now while the people of the UK are going through the worse crisis in 100 years and are suffering. However it was okay to call the COI in the Bvi during the same worldwide crisis. If this isn’t HYPOCRISY then I don’t know what is. I hope the people of the BVI wake up.
They found nothing so those devils at it again
The report seems to be one that would be written based on information submitted and public interviews which the whole world can go back and see, and you still think nothing? Based on what they should report on (evidence before them and interviews) you still there saying Nothing was found and don’t you think the report would have been done sooner if nothing was found. Get your head out of the sand and Let us focus on how we can build this country up. We have generations behind coming.
How can the COI be transparent or independent when the staff and lawyers are all staff of the FCDO in the UK which is the same Department in the UK that the Governor reports to. Does the Uk think the people of the bvi are idiots.
Call elections in march before the report comes out.
The Commissioner has got more to address than was ever anticipated. I’ve lived here for years and it was much worse than I expected. No wonder he needs the extra time!! Still, if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well!!
They just need more time to get their paperworks together so they can impose a direct rule one time. These are no light weight people you are dealing with.
It just means there is so much incompetence and corruption in government that the COI needs more time…
You sound so foolish. How can wrong correct right. This is an attempt at slavery all over again.
You are currently enslaved unless you’re drinking green koolaid. Or you on the red one? Place politics on the side and Think BVI for a moment
You haven’t seen enslaved yet.
I smell a rat, so if it look like a rat, it is a rat. 3 more months for VIP to thief. Lol
Elections after or direct rule for the remaining of the term and then elections with everyone filing what they own before being elected.
I smell a rat nothing there
The COI didn’t find what it come for so their already prepared conclusion got messed up. Now they have to shift and try to make what they found look and sound bad so they can avoid Gus looking like the e**l f**l he is and to justify the six million pounds of the UK tax payers.
@Hmmmm, I think you need to wake up.
Britain is saying. Let’s observe them for 3 more months see if they are making meaningful changes and changing their corrupt ways..
@The oppressors, Or they found so much more they need more time.
@Racist mob, The only Rat you are smelling is the VIP government.
Because their ancestors went around the world taking/stealing lands and claiming them as their own, and exterminating all of the humans/people they met on them, the stinkinbottom and the asperts, who are no different in mentality than their ancestors, now brings the same violence against BVI people as their ancestors did, but in a different more subtle form.
Keep digging ! love it ?
The COI conclusion will leave a lot of people angry. All those that were wishing for jail time will be upset and even turn on the same COI when nothing but recommendations are brought forward.
Why don’t you read. Just hostile ignorant remarks. Read. You may learn something. Who can’t tell time and who can’t take time to observe protocol. Do you all know what that word protocol means. Grow up children. This is sickening. You act like this little country is the only one who has to follow rules. Come into the real world. This is really superficial and without understanding, and not reading at all. You all will be way behind the rest of the world. The WORLD.
on the loose again / he seems to forgot who asked for the ( COI ) and who could not produce documents on time to the same ( COI ) maybe selective
AMNESIA ?